Review by Gloria Lakritz

Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild

A.J. Rose is a new to me author. I received this book for submission and realized I had never read a reaper story. I was instantly pulled in by the blurb; needing to know more. After reading the premise I was hooked in the first chapters. I usually ‘feel’ the need to continue by the first few, and immediately I was hooked.

Ms Rose offers us the ‘what if.’ The stories from lore about grim reapers and their need to ferry the newly deceased to the next portal. How did they become reapers? Was the job grim? Where did they come from? So many unanswered questions it was intriguing.

Our author has written a charming and interesting account of the Seeker family. Living in Colorado, basically as outcasts, weirdos; being in the right place constantly where town members died. Everyone’s shied away from them, certainly causing their children to be ostracized and lonely. This is the case for the youngest son Mitch Seeker.

The reader learns why all the males in the family are reapers; Mitch’s father, uncle, brother and Mitch himself. So he decides he will stay alone not to have to lead a double life. That plan could be shattered when Mitch stumbles into Nate Koehn the new guy in town.

Nate comes to us lonely as well. A champion skier, losing his twin sister Tate 6 months ago; dying in a skiing accident. He lost his family as well needing to get away and ‘find himself’. The ski town in Colorado is where he came.

Ms. Rose has given us a brilliantly written story to the adage ‘is it better to have loved and lost, than not to have loved at all’ with lots of humor and a gentle pen, we are taken into the minds of both young men, as they find their way to each other. The surrounding people also add to the appeal of the story.

It was such a treat to have found this author and read a well written, well thought out story, that satisfied me in every way at the finish. ( and there is a sequel) squeee!!